Heritage revived: Durham University strengthens historic partnership with Raby Castle

A new agreement sees Durham University build on historic links with Raby Castle, a nearby 12th-century medieval property located in Staindrop, County Durham. The castle, with its 200 acres of deer park, serves as one of the region’s most famed landmarks, symbolising Durham’s cultural greatness amidst our nation’s history, woven into the educational outreach of the university.

Via Google Maps

Plans for a partnership of heritage and harmony:

This new partnership aims to bridge the past and present, as Durham University strengthens long-lost ties with Raby Castle, combining heritage and modernity into one, forging a new chapter which binds the old to the new. The University and Raby Castle have since signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU, formalising almost ten years of work, which saw the two institutions collaborate on heritage, the environment, and community-focused projects.

It aims to bring research to life, strengthening the importance of history in our modern world. Therefore, it fuses tradition with new and innovative ways of championing our cultural identities amidst a dedication to curatorial and conservation work.

This collaboration is already delivering positive change through student placements, providing hands-on experience in efforts to sustain the Castle’s original character. Researchers are also conducting work on projects with the estate, which ranges from ecological modelling, archaeology, to energy innovation.

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Lord Barnard, Custodian of Raby Castle, stated that he is “delighted to have agreed this MoU with our friends at Durham University”, commenting that this will provide the potential for students and academics to engage with the past in a way that is productive and meaningful in both a modern and historical context. He hopes landscapes, buildings, collections, and heritage can all inspire new works that benefit “current and future generations”, shaping the present by understanding the past.

The history:

Via Google Maps

The Castle itself was built by John Neville, 3rd Baron Neville de Raby, between the years of 1367 and 1390. The castle welcomed the births of notable names, including Cecily Neville. It was associated with Mary Queen of Scots’ failed Northern revolt in 1569, which saw Raby Castle taken into royal custody, following the 6th Earl of Westmorland’s blunder. It is celebrated for its cultural value, celebrating local history through its vastness in both size and art, including portraits.

Plans unveiled for a “shared commitment to learning, sustainability and community engagement”:

Professor Karen O’Brien, Vice Chancellor of Durham University also commented on this MoU, commenting that it “cements a deep and valued relationship” between the two institutions, forging lost-ties in a shared dedication over the advancement of innovative research.

Two of Durham University’s flagship research programmes underpin this newfound partnership, Smart Soils and Heritage 360, supported by the internationally important Raby archive.

• Smart Soils aims to advance practical approaches to achieving Net Zero within the agricultural sector, and Raby is a key partner here.
• Heritage 360, however, renders the estate a “living laboratory”, encouraging natural and cultural heritage research in ecological modelling, as well as building and collection conservation too.
• Researchers are passionate about preserving the archive material and topography of the estate, respecting its authentic cultural value in helping to decide how to approach the unknown, in forging new beginnings.
• Links to Durham University’s Durham Energy Institute have been affirmed, exploring the potential for geothermal heat sourcing from Raby’s former lead mines

The Raby Archive:

This offers exceptional material on c17th-18th recipe collections, estate records, and a rare set of medieval seats which have inspired exhibitions and community projects, such as the Raby Redcurrant initiative, binding science, history and food as part of plans to explore the castle’s horticultural heritage, having originated from the Vane estates in Shropshire. This saw DU postgraduate students transcribe and analyse manuscript recipes from the archive, bringing them to life in community projects like this, as well as the Eat Medieval Series too.

This union sees potential for future research projects, building on the foundational work set out by almost a decade of collaboration. Significantly, it highlights the importance of our local community, connecting Durham University to its roots, through a historical dedication to emphasise the significance of locality, amidst a time of constant change.

Agreements like these provide a tonic consistency which heals anxieties over our ever-developing world. Its interdisciplinary and inter-sector possibilities present exciting opportunities for local development, strengthening the region’s cultural landscape to enhance the economic vitality of County Durham.

The benefits of a reimagined connection between “campus and castle”:

Opportunities for public history and outreach give momentum for further tourism, as heritage attraction deepens, as does its educational impact, with ongoing research and student initiatives like placements too.

Work with local gardeners, historical food specialists and scientists has been emphasised through the Raby Redcurrant initiative, fusing science with history, in a community effort to trace the origins of the redcurrant to the castle itself.

This cements a deep-seated and valued relationship between the two, with this Memorandum of Understanding providing the foundations for innovative work on a sustainable future, inspiring and informing to “share our discoveries…to inspire and inform generations to come”, as stated by Durham University.

Featured image via Durham University.

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